BCA NewsTravels | October 2007

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FALL 2007

RATING THE TRAVEL MAGS
By Larry Dobrow

(Note: While the percentage of travel ad budgets going into new media increases year after year, the amount garnered by travel magazines is still gargantuan. By exclusive invitation, here to cast his unique eye on the recent offerings of six category titles is well-known media critic, Larry Dobrow)

As I pored over a stack of high-end travel titles – Travel + Leisure, Sherman's Travel, Condé Nast Traveler, Town & Country Travel, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and Culture + Travel – a sudden realization dawned on me. These publications share more in common with pornographic mags than with any other genre.

Oh, sure, the travel titles feature fewer lower-back tattoos and only occasionally work the word "throbbing" into their stories, plus the lighting in the photos is much less harsh. But the general concept is the same: The two genres traffic in wish-fulfillment, serving up escapist fluff in a manner that rarely gels with actionable reality for all but the most determined readers. Sometimes a fantasy is all you need, I suppose.

The travel mags share an awful lot in common beyond that. They visit the same destinations (Southeast Asia appears to be quite popular with the cool kids nowadays). They dot the front and back of their books with hints 'n tips organized under ever-colorful monikers, like "Dispatches" or "Buzz" or "The Get" (hello, product pimping). They are unable to resist the easy PR bait, several running pieces timed to the release of precious flicks like The Darjeeling Limited (go, India!).

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Summer '07 -
A Blast in Every Sense
Summer may be over, but certainly not forgotten. Since 1987, BCA's offices have been at 370 Lexington Avenue, in NYC. For over two decades, we've toiled away there for our clients without incident. Until this past July 18, when around 6:00pm, our building became the epicenter of the ConEdison steampipe blast in midtown Manhattan.

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The explosion was big news in the Big Apple for weeks. The New York Post ran an article covering the theft that occurred when the 370 Lex. was unoccupied. BCA's Evelyn Galli was interviewed, detailing a list of media swag that was looted, including a magnum of Dom Perignon. Quoting Evelyn, "...now I'm sorry I didn't drink it." Cheers!

Reasons to Smile
BCA Staff BCA Pres Jim Cronin, center, has recognized Sarah Gibson, left, and Evelyn Galli, right, with new titles. Effective Sept 1, Evelyn moves up to Chief Operating Officer and Sarah to Account Director. "Much of our growth and success these Kelly DeChiaro last three years can be attributed to them," said Jim, "Ev's savvy handling of our media side and Sarah's skills as a creatively intuitive 'suit' help explain why BCA has above-average client retention."

Half Moon Unveils New Spa
Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, recently cut the ribbon at the official opening of Fern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon. This new 68,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art complex will only enhance Half Moon's reputation for luxury. BCA created Fern Tree's branding and identity. In the ceremony, PM Golding called Half Moon one of the original pillars of 'Brand Jamaica' -- a testament to BCA's two-decade relationship with this venerable resort.

KTO Launches Korea Sparkling

This summer, BCA handled the Korea Tourism Organization's (NY Office) launch of its new global branding campaign, 'Korea Sparkling', with a gala event at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. Over 200 travel agents and press were on hand for an evening of traditional Korean cuisine prepared by a star Korean chef and a wildly popular performance by the B-Boys, all flown in from Seoul especially for the night's festivities.

Five Stars over NY and Washington
Qatar Qatar Airways, one of BCA's newest clients, inaugurated services from the U.S. this past July. The five-star global airline launched its first gateway from New York, followed three weeks later by Washington, D.C. The heavy advertising schedule in the two markets featured BCA-produced TV & radio spots, as well as an aggressive schedule in newspapers, regional magazines, and various out-of-home vehicles.

See the full creative
Hear the radio spots

Thought For The Quarter

"In today's media environment, all content is
created equal. People make no distinction
between something created to entertain them,
and something created to sell them...it's no
longer about 'breaking through'. That idea is
dead. It's about being invited in."

Eric Hirshberg, President, Chief Creative Deutsch L.A

...On the To-Do List

Over 51% of marketing execs in a
recent survey said there were no
written goals for marketing ROI in
their organizations.

Source: 2007 ANA/MMA Marketing Accountability Study

Media Inflation Worries

Media costs across the board are
forecast to rise 3.3% in 2008 over
2007 prices, more than double the
1.6% uptick expected in '07 over '06.

Source: American Association of Advertising Agencies

1-800-Phones-Gone-Quiet?

35% of high-income Govt. types said they first
go to the website after seeing an advertising
message. 3% said they called a phone number.

Source: 2007 Washington Post Leadership Study, by QS&A Research

How To Freshen Creative? Take an Ad Break

Studies prove ads that went off air
for at least 12 weeks could restart
with their original effectiveness.

Source: Starcom MediaVest Group, WSJ 10/1/07

Graph

Where ad money went in first half of '07

Graph
Source: Nielsen Monitor Plus

Show-and-Tell?
If you're going to attend WTM, USTOA, or LTE, and would like to have a meeting with BCA. Let us know -- we'll be there! Email jcronin@bcany.com

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